Beer in Canada

Canada has until at least 1668 standing tradition in the brewing of beer. With the British era of beer consumption increased, most cities have shown up until prohibition breweries. Only then, the market was able to recover. Between the 1970s and 2006, most of the larger companies are not foreign owned, apart from a Moosehead. Beer consumption is however declining since the mid-1970s, wine is increasingly preferred. The regional traditions are some small breweries.

History

Beer was introduced by European settlers in the 17th century. The first brewery was built in 1668 by Jean Talon in Quebec. Only with the takeover of the colony by the British from 1760 began to expand, first in beer consumption, the production of beer. John Molson founded in 1786 a brewery in Montreal, Alexander Keith 1829 in Halifax and Eugene O'Keefe 1891 in Toronto. On July 6, 1842, the first national patent was awarded to G. Riley for ale, beer and porter.

Although the Prohibition led to a sharp decline in the production of beer, but never quite disappeared them. Moreover, we saw in Canada earlier the failure of one than in the U.S. and put an end to the prohibitions. Only on Prince Edward Iceland remained the Prohibition 1901-1948 exist. Since officially no longer allowed to be brewed, it came only after the end of prohibition to a resurgence of numerous microbreweries.

During the 1970s there was a strong concentration process, three companies dominated the market at the end. These were Molson, Labatt and Carling O'Keefe. Labatt was bought in 1995 by the Belgian company Interbrew, which itself is now part of the Brazilian- Belgian company Anheuser -Busch InBev, the largest brewer in the world. Molson merged in 2005 with the US-based Coors Brewing Company. This showed the Molson Coors Brewing Company, now the fifth largest brewery in the world. Sleeman Breweries was bought again in 2006 by the Japanese Sapporo Brewery. The end of 2006 around 90 % of the Canadian beer were thus produced by foreign companies or licensed to Canadian companies. The market leaders are the breweries Molson and Labatt. Their two main brands are the Molson Canadian and Labatt Blue as well as some niche products.

Only Moosehead based in Saint John in New Brunswick, is still in Canadian-owned. The company was founded in 1867 and has since its founding in possession of the Oland family, and thus in the sixth generation.

Exist in many places so-called micro- breweries ( microbreweries ) that provide regional characteristics or a local audience. Thus Québec beers rather refer to northern French and Belgian brewing traditions in Atlantic Canada dominate British beers. In Ontario you can find beers according to German tradition, but also to those of the Midwest region of the United States. British Columbia, however, is less of the UK, as influenced by California, where some principles of environmental sustainability and purity were also imported, such as the addition of fruit juices.

Until 1961 the standard size of beer bottles was either quart, ie 625 ml or pint ( 341 ml), which are in some places to meet again today, such as in Gastown Vancouver. Only occasionally were found after the larger bottle, the smaller was often referred to as "stubby " means. For twenty years dominated this slightly wider and short bottle the market until long narrow bottle permeated the American model between 1982 and 1986. As a final mark Labatts Crystal gave up the stubby shape.

From 1976 to 2009, beer consumption went in favor of wine per capita of 115.2 liters back to 83.5 liters. Overall, there were 2.3 billion liters in 2009, which were sold in Canada. 1999 were obtained from the total amount only 6% from abroad, in 2009 already 13%.